empty praise
script #1 of a monologue
FADE IN:]
EXT. CITY STREETS – NIGHT
Dim streetlights. Neon signs buzz faintly. Groups of friends cluster outside, laughing, spilling into the sidewalks.
(V.O.)
(soft, almost a whisper)
empty praise.
i’m seeking an exchange—
a real one—
where we share our innermost thoughts,
where our minds expand,
our perspectives shift,
and we emerge different,
but better.
EXT. EMPTY APARTMENT – LATER
A figure sits on a windowsill, knees tucked up, staring out at the endless sprawl of the city.
(V.O.)
i open myself to the ether,
not for empty validation,
but to seek connection—
romantic or platonic—
something to give each other
before the next slumber,
before the same monotonous routine returns:
i open my eyes,
blink,
and the day slips past me.
EXT. CROSSWALK – NIGHT
Our figure crosses slowly under the glow of a blinking walk sign, surrounded by strangers.
(V.O.)
is anyone out there?
or am i meant to exist in a perpetual state
where only my own company fills the silence?
EXT. DINER – MIDNIGHT
Inside, a couple leans in close over coffee; a group of friends bursts into laughter at another booth. The figure sits alone at the counter, stirring a mug.
(V.O.)
don’t get me wrong—
i enjoy solitude as much as the next person—
but sometimes, it’s nice to share a moment.
to look back and laugh,
cry,
ponder,
knowing someone else lived it too.
is that too much to ask?
EXT. SIDEWALK – DAWN
The sky softens from black to bruised blue. The city begins to wake. The figure walks alone, hands buried deep in their pockets.
(V.O.)
when i walk through the city,
i watch the groups gathered together
and wonder:
what thread binds them?
when they go home,
what do their mornings look like?
what songs do they keep to themselves?
what do they wish they could say out loud?
(V.O.) (even softer)
am i the only one thinking like this?
maybe.
maybe not.
EXT. BRIDGE OVERLOOKING THE CITY – SUNRISE
The figure stops and looks out over the buildings, the river, the slow-blooming morning.
(V.O.)
either way,
i keep moving.
half here,
half somewhere else.
[FADE OUT.]